Patreon vs Ko-fi
Pick Ko-fi unless you need Patreon's video hosting, chat, and fan app. Ko-fi takes 5% of memberships, or 0% on its $12 Gold plan, and pays you instantly. Patreon takes 10% from new creators and keeps your members' cards if you leave. The deciding factor is whether you will use Patreon's extra features.
| Patreon | Ko-fi | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee on memberships | 10% for pages published after August 4, 2025 | 5%, or 0% on Gold |
| Fee on one-time sales | 10% on one-time purchases | 0% on tips with Standard mode off. 5% on shop and commissions |
| Monthly cost | None | None, or $12 for Gold |
| Payment processing | 2.9% + $0.30 on US cards | PayPal or Stripe rates, about 3% + $0.30 |
| Take-home on $1,000 a month in $10 memberships | About $841 | About $891, or $929 on Gold |
| Payout speed | On demand or monthly, 1 to 5 days to arrive | Instant, into your own PayPal or Stripe |
| Payout methods | Direct deposit, PayPal, Payoneer | PayPal, Stripe |
| Audience export | Member emails by CSV | Supporter emails, any time |
| Payment details if you leave | Stay with Patreon | Not documented |
| Custom domain | Yes, on the new creator page | Not documented |
| Video | Hosted, up to 100 hours a month | Links to YouTube or Vimeo |
| Mobile app | Yes. Apple's fee on in-app purchases is 30%, then 15% after a year | Not yet, in development |
| You keep on $1,000 a month | $841 | $929 |
| You keep on $10,000 a month | $8,410 | $9,398 |
| Our score | 7.1 out of 10 | 7.7 out of 10 |
What you keep on $1,000 a month
Both platforms paid in $10 payments by US cards, each on whichever plan leaves you the most. The blue is yours. The hatched part is fees.
| Platform and plan | Share kept versus fees | You keep | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ko-fiGold | $929 | −$71 | |
| PatreonStandard | $841 | −$159 |
On $10,000 a month: Patreon $8,410, Ko-fi $9,398. How we calculate this.
Pick Patreon if
- your members pay for video, chat, or community.
- you want free trials and free memberships to convert followers.
- you are a legacy creator still on the 5% or 8% plan.
Pick Ko-fi if
- fees matter more to you than features.
- you want money in your account the moment a supporter pays.
- tips are a large share of your income, since one-time tips can be fee-free.
- Pick Ko-fi Gold if you sell more than $240 a month.
Which is cheaper, Patreon or Ko-fi?
Ko-fi, at every revenue level. On a $10 US membership you keep about $8.91 on Ko-fi and $8.41 on Patreon. At $1,000 a month that is $891 against $841, and Ko-fi Gold raises it to about $929.
Legacy Patreon creators narrow the gap. The Founders plan is 5% and Pro is 8%, but only for pages published on or before August 4, 2025 that have never been unpublished. See our fee table for every revenue level.
What do you get for Patreon's extra 5%?
Patreon hosts video, up to 100 hours a month for creators with paying fans, and adds chats, polls, free trials, and a fan app. Ko-fi links out to YouTube or Vimeo for video and has no app yet.
If your members come for video or community, Patreon earns its extra 5%. If they come to support you and read a few posts, Ko-fi does the job for half the fee.
Which is better if you might leave later?
Ko-fi gives you more, though neither is ideal. Ko-fi payments land in your own PayPal or Stripe account. Patreon keeps members' cards, and Memberful's migration docs say members coming from Patreon must add a payment method again.
Both let you export emails. Neither documents a way to move active memberships to another platform with payment details intact.
Which pays out faster?
Ko-fi, by days. Ko-fi payments reach your PayPal or Stripe account instantly. Patreon payouts take 1 to 5 days after you withdraw, with a 5-day hold when you add a payout method and up to 75 days pending on iOS in-app purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ko-fi cheaper than Patreon?
Yes. Ko-fi takes 5% of memberships against Patreon's 10% for new creators, and Ko-fi Gold takes 0% for $12 a month.
Does Ko-fi have an app like Patreon?
Not yet. Ko-fi's help center says an app for messages and notifications is in development, and suggests pinning the website to your home screen until then.
Can I move my patrons from Patreon to Ko-fi?
You can export member emails from Patreon and invite them to Ko-fi, but their payment details cannot come with you. Each member has to join again and pay on Ko-fi.